Gas-generator.



No. 790.418. l PATENTED MAY 2s, 1905.

. G. APPEL.

GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED APB. 4.1904.

f UNITED STATES Patented May 23, 1905. 'y

PATENT' OFFICE.

GEORGE APFEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAS-GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,418, dated May 23,1905.

Application filed April 4, 1904. Serial No. 201,417.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE APFEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invent- ,eda useful Improvement in Gas-Generators;

and I do hereby declare the following is a full and exact description ofmy invention, sothat any one skilled in the art can easily construct thesamefby reference to the accompanying drawings.

I do not claim as new or as my invention a gas-generator having acombustion-chamber surrounded by hollow walls or spiral chambers forheating the steam and air that enter the bed of incandescent coal, nordo I claim as new or as my invention the heating of the steam and air.

In all prior inventions for the manufacture of producer-gas thetemperature of the steam and air has been an unknown quantity and thegas produced has always had an excess of carbon dioxid and nitrogen,making a poor quality of gas. By my apparatus I heat the steam and airto such a degree of temperature (not less than 1,800C Fahrenheit) thatwhen I introduce them into the bed of incandescent coal they produce agas having little'or no carbon dioxid. The gases are also in a nascentcondition ready to combine with any other element that may be introducedinto the chamber by my chemical-tank and by which I control the heat ofthe ingoing and outgoing gases. I do also away with scrubbing-towers,mechanical washers, regenerators, and purifiers.

By reference to the drawings,Figure 1 shows a vertical section of mygenerator having one elongated chamber (marked A,A2, and A3) bent intothe shape of the inverted letter U, the two legs or columns marked,respectively, B and B2. surrounded by the continuous helical and spiralchamber, (marked D D,) having a heatingsurface ten times longer thanchamber A. Fig. 3 shows a horizontal section of column B at line A toB', and Fig. 2 shows'a horizontal section of column B2 at line C to D.

The decomposing or combustion end of The chamber (marked-A A2 A3) is'chamber marked A in column B is surmounted by the air-tight feeder orcoaltank, (marked O,) while the mixing or combining end in column B2 issurmounted by the perforated chemical-tank, (marked R.) In the top ofthat part of the chamber marked A is an iron hood, (marked N,) whichkeeps the coal as it drops down from the feeder from touching the innerwalls of the chamber A. The opening at top of hood N is closed by thebell O, which is held in place by the lever and weight P. Resting on topof the hood is the aforementioned tank marked C, closed by cover g; Inthe top of the chamber'A are also one or more safety-valves closed byloosefitting plugs, (marked Q.) The base of the outer shell M M restsupon and is fastened to an L-shaped ring, (marked V V.) The perforatedcast-iron base (marked F F) rests upon this ring, and the hoodunderneath (marked H H) is also attached thereto. Fastened to this ringV and to the outer shell M are the four struts marked J J J J, whichrest upon four cast-iron bases I I I I, that are sunk into and rest uponaconcrete foundation. The iioor inside of the quadrangle of the fourbases is sunk to a level with the bottom of those bases and is filledwith water, thus forming a water-tank, (marked T T.) In the center ofthe tank is a concrete cone,(marked G.) The apex of this cone almosttouches the gratebars, (marked E E.) A perforated cast-iron 8O ring orcircular base (marked F) supporting the rocking grate-bars (marked E)and having openings (marked Z d) rests upon this ring V. The iron shellof the hearth or lire-pot (marked K K) lined with fire-brick (marked aa) rests upon this perforated cast-iron ring F. The rocking grate-bars(marked E) also rest on the base F and extend through the outer shell M,as shown. A perforated iron disk (marked L L) rests upon and braces thelire-pot K K and braces the outer shell M M and also supports and bracesthe walls of the helical and spiral chamber D D D D.

That part of the chamberA marked A2 and A3 is lined with a thin tilingof high refract- 95 ive material. (Not shown.) The shelvesee are also ofthe same material. The inner iron shell (marked S S) incloses that partof the chamber A marked A2 and is covered by a larger shell (marked S2I2) having the spiral chamber D D between and which makes continuous thechamber A and A3 and the spiral chamber D. Vertical partitions orshelves (marked e e) deiieet the gas from side to side of that part ofthe chamber marked A2 and heating the spiral chamber D. The spiralchamber D, surrounding the chamber A at A2, is made by an iron flangefastened to the shell S S and snugly fitting into the outer shell S2, asshown.

That part of the chamber A marked A in column B2 is inclosed by thetile-lined iron shell, (marked b 5,) which is extended below theconcrete floor and communicating with the tar-tank underneath, but notshown on the drawings. The spiral flanges f f form, with the bricklining (marked a a) and the inner shell Z; a continuous spiralehamber,(marked D.) At the top of the column B2 is the tank marked R,havingaperforated bottom. This tank can be filled either by gravity froma tank or a pump through the pipe marked c. This tank is'over the mixingor combining end (marked A3) of chamber A, and when filled with a hotliquid chemical, like sodium or potassium carbonate, the weight of thefalling liquor and the condensing gases as they descend to the bottom ofcolumn B2 produce a vacuum in the top of the combustion end of chamberA, thereby producing a draft through the bed of incandescent coal,having the same effect as a suction-fan. Furthermore, the hot gasescoming over from the combustion end of chamber A are in a nascentcondition (having a temperature of over 1,8000 Fahrenheit) and meetingthe cooler streams of the hot carbonate rapidly combine and condense.The placing of the tank R over the combining end permits the hot liquid(as it enters the tank) to be heated to a still higher temperature fromthe waste heat of the hot gases. The hot liquor is vaporiZed as itissues through the perforations and combines with the hot gases at once.By the time the gases have reached the bottom of column B2 they arecooled enough for the tar and nitrate to separate out and drop into, thereceiving-tank underneath. rIhe resulting by-products materially reducethe cost of the gas while leaving the gas of greater calorific value.The outer shell (marked M2 M2) of column B2 rests upon and is fastenedto the concrete floor.

In that part of chamber A marked A3 at regular intervals are the slopingshelves, (marked e e c 6,) which deflect the downward course of thecooling gases and liquor against the sides of the tile-lined end ofchamber A marked A3, thereby heating the spiral chamber D. Be-

neath the column B2 is an opening leading straight down to the tar andliquor tank, while the gases are led through the d uct marked U.

rIhe helical chamber D D in column B is made by a spiral course of brickbinding the two walls (marked L a) together and running up from theperforated disk Lto the shells S and S2.

In operating my generator the hot gases and the bed of incandescent coalheat the walls of the helical chamber D D, so that the hot air and steamwhen entering through the openings (Z Z in base F have been heated to ateniperature of 1,60()O Fahrenheit, bringing up the temperature of thebed of incandescent coal to nearly 2,300O Fahrenheit. As these hot gasespass upward and over they are deiiected from side to side by thevertical shelves and become somewhat cooler, but in a nascent condition,and meeting the cooler vapor from the tank R are suddenly condensed andcarried down with the liquor, the weight of the liquor and thecondensation of the gases producing a vacuum over the bed ofincandescent coal, while the waste heat heats the walls of the spiralchamber D D and the contents of tank R. The effect of bending thecombining end of the chamber A downward has a triple purpose and which Iparticularly claim as my invention-first, the hot steam and air enteringat the base and becoming hotter as it ascends in the spiral chamber Dmeets and takes up all the waste heat of the descending gases, thussaving fuel; second, the hot chemicals from the perforated tank R meetand combine with the hot gases whileboth are flowing downward andcooling together, thereby combining better; third, the falling liquorand condensed gases by their combined weight have the same effect as avacuum-pump, thus saving the power necessary for a pump.

I/Vhat I claim as my invention is as follows:

l. The combination of a generating-chamber having a coal-charging tankoverhead, a water-tank underneath and a cone in the center of the tankextending up and into said generator, with a continuous horizontal andvertical exhaust-pipe, having deilecting-shelves in the manner setforth.

2. The combination of a generating-chamber having a coal-charging tankoverhead, a water-tank underneath, a cone in the center of said tankextending up and into said generator, a continuous horizontal andvertical exhaust-pipe having deiiecting-shelves, with a continuoushelical and spiral heating-chamber surrounding said generator andexhaustpipe in the manner as shown.

3. The combination of a generating-chamber having a coal-charging tankoverhead, a water-tank underneath, a cone in the center of said tankextending up and into said gen- IOO erator, a horizontal and Verticalexhaust-pipe l In testimony WhereofIhave signed my name havingdeeeting-shelves, a continuous helical to this specification in thepresence of tWo subanolspiral heating-Chamber surrounding said scribingWitnesses. Y generator and exhaust-pipe, with a heating Y f 5liquor-tank surrnounting the vertical end of Witnesses:

the exhaust-pipe and a liquor-tank underneath DOUGLAS J. HOGAN, the samein the manner set forth. HENRY Soi-IEFFEL.

GEORGE APFEL.

